Fever
by Bliss-06
Summary: Jenny and Ziva are new partners, getting acquainted with each other as they work to take down the baddies. Tensions are high, and they both infuriate the other. How long can they last until they break?


"Tell me why we're here again?" Jenny Shepard muttered as she glared at a tree branch that had just left a nasty scratch on her right cheek.

Ziva David rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time since she had met her new partner.

"_Because_," she hissed through clenched teeth, "Nassir Hasaan was last sighted boarding a plane to Africa."

"Okay," Jenny prod her further, fully aware of the possible repercussions of aggravating her colleague, but not really caring. "That still doesn't explain why we're gallivanting around in this… this… rainforest, thing…" She waved her hand around, gesturing at the miles of trees that surrounded them. She yelped as a chunk of her blazing red hair caught on a protruding limb and yanked her head backwards.

Her cry of distress had alerted Ziva, who whipped around, ready to fend off attackers. Her poised hands dropped to her sides when she saw the reason for Jenny's outburst, and she sighed in annoyance. Her annoyance shifted to bemusement as she watched Jenny struggle to free her hair.

Jenny spat every curse word known in the English language at the tree, but still failed to untangle her hair. She glared in Ziva's direction.

"You know you could offer to help rather than stand there laughing at me." She grumbled.

Ziva's eyebrows raised and she smirked. She swaggered over to Jenny, withdrawing the hunting knife she wore at her waist. She reached Jenny, and grabbing the hair attached to the limb, she raised the knife with the other.

Jenny shrieked. "What the hell are you doing?"

Ziva paused. "Freeing you. That is what you wanted, yes?"

Jenny slapped her hand away. "Not by cutting off my hair!" She growled and once again attempted to free herself.

Ziva snickered, then put her knife away. She pushed Jenny's hands away and fiddled with her hair for a moment. Jenny's hair finally came away from the branch and she scrambled away from it, then turned and looked at Ziva sheepishly.

"Thanks." She muttered, then turned and waited for Ziva to resume her lead.

"You are welcome. To answer your earlier question, this jungle is a known hiding spot of Hasaan's. I wanted to check it out first before we looked anywhere else. If he is not here," she sighed in exasperation as Jenny tripped over a fallen limb and latched onto Ziva's arm to catch herself, "then we have a long search ahead of us. Africa is a large country."

"Yeah, no shit." Jenny mumbled and released Ziva's arm once she had regained her balance. She was annoyed with herself. She prided herself in not being a helpless little girl like so many women were, and was not usually so clumsy. Something about Ziva distracted her, and she was finding it extremely difficult to focus on anything other than the sway of Ziva's hips as she walked ahead of her, or how the green cargo pants she was wearing accentuated her little derriere so nicely, or –

Her thoughts were rudely interrupted as she abruptly collided with Ziva's front. She grunted and stumbled a step backwards. She had to tear her eyes away from the sliver of olive skin peeking out between the hem of Ziva's shirt and waistband of her pants, and raised her gaze to meet her annoyed stare.

"What?" Jenny asked defensively.

Ziva held up the canteen in her hand and gave it a little shake. "I asked if you needed a drink of water. I can hear you panting back there, so I thought you might be thirsty." She raised an annoyingly intuitive eyebrow.

"I wasn't _panting_." Jenny's voice rose a notch and she was grateful for the heat induced flush in her cheeks, or Ziva would have seen her blushing. She had a feeling Ziva saw it anyways.

She shook her head at the proffered water. "I'm fine, thanks."

Ziva shrugged and popped the top off. She tilted it to her lips and downed some of the cool liquid.

Jenny stared as Ziva's throat muscles worked to swallow the water, and she had to look away when several drops dribbled down her chin to her chest, disappearing into the modest amount of cleavage she had. The way her body was reacting to Ziva's simple actions was irritating her, and she mentally slapped herself for behaving like a hormonal teenager.

Jenny reached for the canteen when Ziva was finished. "Maybe a little." She mumbled, avoiding Ziva's eyes.

Ziva smiled inwardly and turned to continue down the trail.

Jenny's annoyance grew as she considered the fact that Ziva didn't seem at all attracted to her. She didn't _want _to be attracted to Ziva. The girl infuriated her, and besides that, she was at least 10 years her junior. The sweltering heat wasn't helping the tension any, and she pulled off her over shirt and tied it around her waist.

"This is pointless." Jenny muttered under breath.

"What?" Ziva turned to face her, forcing Jenny to halt in front of her.

_There. _

Jenny caught it: a subtle flutter of brown eyes as they briefly inspected the newly exposed skin, then flickered back up to her face. Jenny had to fight back the arrogant grin that threatened to appear.

"Uh – nothing." Jenny sighed. "I just feel like we're moving in circles, is all."

Ziva bristled. "We are not. I am perfectly capable of leading us in the right direction. Unless _you _would like to take over navigation." She stepped aside and held out her arm for Jenny to pass.

"I wasn't suggesting that you were incapable. I just feel helpless, wandering around this stupid jungle."

Ziva's eyes narrowed. "You would rather be engaged in some sort of combat, yes?"

"Well, yeah. If it was taking down another one of these assholes, definitely. It's a hell of a lot better walking around in the middle of nowhere, not even knowing if you're going to find anything." Jenny wiped the sweat from her brow and looked back at Ziva, waiting for her response.

"Why are all you Americans so eager to die?" Ziva shook her head and turned her back on Jenny, effectively ending the conversation as she trudged forward.

Jenny stared at her retreating back for a moment, then scrambled to catch up. "I'm not eager to die, just eager to take down these bastards. Surely you can relate."

"Of course I can!" Ziva spat. "These 'bastards' have taken more from me personally than they have from you, of that I can assure you." Her tone was bitter.

"I'm sure they have." Jenny's words were sympathetic, and Ziva inwardly cringed.

"Do not feel sorry for me." She glared at Jenny out of the corner of her eye.

"Why are you so bitter? You're too young to harbor such bitterness."

Ziva scoffed. "You Americans are so naïve. I have lost more family and friends in the last five years than you have in your entire lifetime. I have been witness to more tragedy and horror than any of you people could even imagine."

"Is that why you hate me?" The words were out of Jenny's mouth before she could stop herself.

Ziva stopped walking and stared at her. Jenny met her inquiring eyes with a challenging gaze, her chin lifted defiantly.

"Why do you think that I hate you?" Ziva asked quietly.

"Well, I've done nothing but aggravate you since we met, and you're always so… hostile." Jenny steeled herself for the angry response she was expecting to receive.

Ziva just lowered her eyes and looked away. She then turned and began walking again. Jenny joined her, eyeing her warily. They walked in silence for several minutes, and Jenny began to think that Ziva was going to simply refuse to talk to her at all for the rest of the trip.

"I do not hate you." Ziva finally broke the silence.

Jenny remained quiet, waiting for further explanation.

Ziva sighed. "I am just not accustomed to working with… women."

Jenny arched a brow. "What does my being a woman have to do with anything?"

Ziva swallowed. "Nothing, just… well, I get along better with men, I suppose. In a working environment, anyways. They keep to themselves, and they do not talk so much." The corner of her mouth quirked as Jenny's lips formed a defensive pout.

"Are you saying I talk too much?"

Ziva chuckled. "Just… more than I am used to, is all."

"Hmph. Well, I can shut up if you'd like." Jenny opened the canteen in her grasp and let the water lubricate her parched mouth.

"No, I do not mind it so much anymore. You are rubbing on me." Ziva frowned when Jenny choked and nearly spewed water everywhere.

Jenny coughed several times then cracked a smile at Ziva. "The phrase is 'growing on you.' Not rubbing. Though you may have been thinking of 'rubbing off on you.'" She grinned.

Ziva's brow furrowed in confusion, then she waved her hand dismissively. "American idioms. I will never understand them." She returned Jenny's grin, then gestured toward the path in front of them.

"We should continue. I want to get back before it starts getting dark." Ziva retook the lead, but this time allowed space for Jenny to walk beside her.


End file.
